and dawākhil (innards); do not go near them, for they are fire. (1)
The report of ʿAbd Allāh’s death in the year 43 AH in Madinah has already been mentioned, and several authorities record it as such.
ʿUmar ibn Muḥammad al-ʿUmari—and a number of others—told us:
ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar told us; Abū al-Waqt al-Sijzī told us; ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad told us; Abū Muḥammad ibn Ḥammūyah told us; ʿĪsā ibn ʿUmar told us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Dārimī told us; Muḥammad ibn Kathīr told us, from al-Awzāʿī, from Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr, from Abū Salamah, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām, who said:
“We—several Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—sat together and discussed. We said, ‘If only we knew which deeds are most beloved to Allah, we would do them.’
“So Allah revealed: ‘Whatever is in the heavens and on the earth glorifies Allah, and He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do…’ [al-Ṣaff 61:1-2]—to the end of the surah. (2)
“He then recited it to us—the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—until he completed it.”
Abū Salamah said: “ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām recited it to us.”
Yaḥyā said: “Abū Salamah recited it to us, and I have recited it to you.”
(1) The transmitters in this chain are trustworthy. Ashath here is Ashath ibn Abd Allah ibn Jabir al-Hadani. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar attributes the report in Al-Isaba 6/110 to Ibn Asakir.
Al-Bukhari also records it in his Sahih 7/98, in the section on the Prophet’s merits, through Sulayman ibn Harb → Shubah → Sa id ibn Abi Burda → his father, who said: “I came to Madinah and met Abd Allah ibn Salam. He said: ‘Will you not come so I can give you sawiq (roasted barley flour) and dates, and so that you may enter the house (i.e. the house the Prophet ﷺ once entered)?’ He then added: ‘You are in a land where riba (usury) is widespread. If you are owed a debt and the debtor offers you a bundle of straw, a sack of barley, or a load of qut (animal fodder), do not accept it, for that is riba.’”
Ibn Hajar comments that this may have been the personal opinion of Abd Allah ibn Salam; the jurists hold that it is only riba when such a gift is stipulated in advance, though piety recommends refusing it altogether. The verb tasalafun derives from salaf (a loan). Al-hamlan is what is carried by riding animals and given specifically as a gift. Al-dawakhil (pl. of dokhla) are palm-leaf baskets used for dates and fresh dates.
(2) Muhammad ibn Kathir—namely, Ibn Abi Ata al-Thaqafi—is often inaccurate, yet in this case other chains support him, as will be shown, and the remaining transmitters are reliable. The report is also found in Musnad al-Darimi 2/200, and al-Tirmidhi (no. 3309) records it through Muhammad ibn Kathir from al-Awzai.
Ahmad includes it in his Musnad 5/452 via Yaʿmar → Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak → al-Awzai → Yahya ibn Abi Kathir → Hilal ibn Abi Maimunah…